Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)
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Transcript of Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)
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8/2/2019 Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)
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iVolunteer Overseas
D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash
New Delhi-110065
Tel.: +91 11-26217459
Email : [email protected]
Website: www.ivoindia.org
Ibd.com
My Volunteering Experiences- Discovering my strengths & potentials
By Dr Falguni Basu, VSO Volunteer, India
An Ayurvedic Doctor by profession, engaged in clinical research; I was adventurous at heart but
someone who liked to live in his comfort zones. One day I decided to listen to my adventurous
spirit! The opportunity presented itself in the form of an assignment to volunteer my skills &
experiences through the iVolunteer Overseas Program to make a first hand difference in the lives
of the Africans.
Life couldnt get more adventurous for me; Dr.
Falguni Basu. I hail from Rishra, a small town
near Kolkata, West Bengal and this is my story
Most of us, at some point of time in our lives
have wanted to do something to change the
world. We may have wondered what we were
doing in this robotic life & job. We may have
dreamt of exploring the world BUT
But, what can I alone do? But, who will pay for my travels? But, what about the rent?
These series of IFs & BUTS was never ending
until I contacted iVolunteer & VSO. It gave me an
opportunity to use my skills, to change lives, to
explore new cultures & countries; to just evolve
as an individual professionally & personally. It allseemed too good to be true!!
My first ever volunteering experience was in
Nigeria. I was sent to the Center for HIV and STD
Research as HIV Baseline Development Officer,
placed in a remote village called Umonyama in south-east Nigeria.
The moment I arrived in Nigeria for my placement, I found myself in a completely differe nt
situation; culturally, geographically and socio-economically!! I was placed in a remote village
without electricity, internet & water was a mile away from my house!! The house was filled with
lots of rats, bats and cockroaches!! The nearest cyber caf was in a distance of 45 km. Signals in
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8/2/2019 Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)
2/2
iVolunteer Overseas
D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash
New Delhi-110065
Tel.: +91 11-26217459
Email : [email protected]
Website: www.ivoindia.org
mobile phone fluctuated & some times switched off for 2-3 days!! Even the mobile operator in
Nigeria was not provided GPRS in the rural area.
All my comfort zones were shattered but left my sense of humour intact!! In the circumstances
where there was no electricity, I entered my house to find a refrigerator provided by my
employers!! Well, in time it was used as a kitchen cupboard!
My worksplace had one computer with only 8 GB hard disk and severely infected with virus, there
wasnt enough space even to install anti-virus software!! Some times I borrowed laptop from my
Nigerian friends; some times worked from business center or my volunteer friend, Sudha
Rathores laptop. During overseas placement co-volunteers are truly friends in need.
So, has life changed for me? You bet it has!
This is a wonderful experience against all odds. One can discover a lot of hidden strengths &
potentials within oneself.
Personally, for the comfort seeking person that I was, today I am ready to face any challenge, any
hard-ship. I believe I can survive in any corner of the world with whatever the situation is.
Professionally I never did social research, I used to coordinate and monitor clinical research. But
now I am confident enough to conduct social research on my own.
This experience gave me so much that I was inspired to volunteer myself for yet another
assignment! After one and half months back home, I came to Kenya for my 2nd placement. I write
this in my 4th month of this placement of 2 years.
Here I work as a HIV mainstreaming advisor in an organization called Catholic Diocese of Homa
Bay (CDoHB). This time too I had my initial challenges of living in a maternity ward of a hospital of
the diocese & surviving on hospital food. Now, I have my home in the most picturesque location of
Lake Victoria. The story has a twist in the tail my house is the only one within the compound
without electricity!!
And I merrily march on